


forever, my love

by tfc



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:41:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22721143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tfc/pseuds/tfc
Summary: A Valentine's Day fic in which Gonta doesn't which ring to pick and Shuichi's been waiting for the question to be asked for way too long.
Relationships: Gokuhara Gonta/Saihara Shuichi
Comments: 3
Kudos: 34





	forever, my love

Gonta is running half an hour behind schedule. He still doesn’t know the difference between these two stones, but evidently one is better, because the one of price tags attached is vastly less expensive than the other. Not that the prices are really going to affect Gonta’s decision at all; if he sees a ring that he  _ knows _ is the one, he’s going to buy it regardless of how much it costs.

They’ve been together for nearly five years now. Gonta can tell that Shuichi’s starting to get impatient, if their ever-increasing conversations about the future are anything to go by. And it’s not as though he feels pressured, don’t get him wrong, he’s very excited to be spending the rest of his life with Shuichi! It’s just that he’s had to wait for a reservation to open up, and the restaurant’s waiting list had been two years long when he’d tried to get a table on their third anniversary.

That’s how long he’s wanted to do this. He’d told himself that he’d propose as soon as they graduated, but evidently, those plans had fallen through. Why is he so stuck on this one particular location? It had been their first big date, where they had first exchanged ‘I love you’s, and it’s a place that Gonta associates with love in general. It’s a very important place for him and Shuichi, and he’s fixated on proposing at that same table they’re always at when these milestones happen.

If there’s anything he knows about Shuichi, it’s that he’s not one for flashy things, meaning he’s definitely not going to want a giant sparkly diamond like the one Gonta’s looking at right now. It  _ is _ kinda funny, though, given that Shuichi’s always been so eager to get everyone else presents, even if they’re just as flashy as the ring he’s looking at is.

The ring next to that one is smaller, still rather big, but shaped like a heart. Gonta’s pretty sure Shuichi won’t be too big of a fan of that one, but it does kind of remind him of the time he’d bought a giant heart-shaped box of chocolates for Shuichi while he’d been sick. Gonta smiles at the memory.

Shuichi had called him, sounding rather stuffy. “Hey, lovebug, ’m sorry, I can’t do dinner tonight, I can barely get out of bed,” he’d said, and Gonta had immediately gotten a giant teddy bear, chocolates, and packed a picnic basket full of dinner to meet him. They’d spent that entire night snacking and chatting and giggling together as they’d watched a movie. Gonta had loved the feeling of taking care of Shuichi, and Shuichi had looked so happy…

Gonta shakes himself out of his thoughts and moves on to the next ring. It’s a gold band, which he doesn’t really see Shuichi liking as much as a silver or white gold one. It’s very pretty though, and the color makes him think of how the light bounces off of Shuichi’s face whenever the sun is setting and they’re cuddling in their bedroom as the colors filter in from the window. But it’s still not  _ the _ ring. He briefly considers a decent-sized ring with a pretty blue stone, but as he looks up to ask about it, a different ring catches his eye.

The band is pitch black, as is the main stone, and tiny white diamonds scatter like stars down the sides of it. The band itself is intricate, flowery patterns carved into the black metal. The price tag on it—well, Gonta doesn’t exactly want to read it twice. But this ring? It’s the one. It’s definitely what he wants Shuichi to see when he gets on one knee, opens up that tiny velvet box, and proposes.

He waves over the saleslady and points at the ring, handing her his card. He’s too enraptured by the ring and how  _ incredibly perfect _ it is for Shuichi to really register anything else that’s happening. She swipes the card, packages the ring, and hands it to him in a nice little black box. Gonta takes hold of it like it’s the most precious thing in the entire world—which, really, it is, it’s a symbol of his undying love for Shuichi for goodness sakes—and once he has his card back, he heads out of the store and into the car.

Refusing to even let the ring out of his sight, Gonta sets it in his lap and starts the car. Even being in the car is enough to remind him of a tender moment with Shuichi; he hadn’t been able to drive at all until a few years ago. The memory of Shuichi’s hand on his helping him move the gear shift and his fond laughter at Gonta’s initial nervous and slow pace makes a soft smile stretch across Gonta’s face.

But he supposes he’s only thinking about all of these things at once because it’s such a big deal, though he’s not exactly going to complain about his head being filled with thoughts of his (soon to be) future husband. Gonta drives home, fingers tapping nervously on the wheel; as to why he’s so nervous, it’s anyone’s guess. He knows Shuichi’s going to say yes, he has everything all planned out, as long as everything goes according to schedule, tonight should be perfect. It’s going to be perfect.

He pulls into their driveway and pulls his keys from his pocket. The ring box very nearly falls out, so Gonta elects to put it on the inside pocket of his suit jacket instead, to keep it safe. Their lock is a bit tricky, so it’s always easy to tell when someone’s going in or out. Surprisingly, though, he’s not greeted with the usual kiss as he opens the door, and he heads into the hall towards their bedroom.

“Shu…? You home?” Gonta asks, pushing open their door. Thankfully, there’s a lump in the many blankets, and it seems to be breathing, so that’s good. Their reservation is in about twenty minutes, though, which is definitively less good. Gonta walks over and shakes Shuichi’s shoulder, just a bit, and the mass of blankets that covers his boyfriend stirs slightly. “Gonta just got home, you wanna get ready for dinner?”

Shuichi makes a noise somewhere between a groan and a whine. “Mm...I’m up, I’m up,” he mumbles as Gonta moves to shake his shoulder again. Gonta’s breath hitches as he gets a good look at Shuichi, and he can’t remember how to talk for a moment. “Hey, lovebug...what’re you looking at me like that for?”

The halo of the sunset around Shuichi’s hair makes him look ethereal, and his eyes are that soft, rainy sunflower color that makes Gonta’s heart melt. Shuichi’s voice is heavy with sleep--it’s one of Gonta’s favorite sounds—and he gnaws at his chapped bottom lip. Because of the light, his long eyelashes cast shadows on his cheeks; Shuichi’s gotten some freckles over the years, too, tiny little stars dotting across his nose and right under his eyes.

“Sorry...Shuichi just look really pretty,” Gonta tells him, brushing Shuichi’s mussed-up hair away from his face. Shuichi chuckles, his laugh a bit gruff given he’s just gotten up, and he presses a kiss to Gonta’s cheek. The memory of the reservation hits Gonta, and he starts to panic a bit. “Um, s-so Shuichi gonna get ready for dinner?”

Shuichi’s tongue pokes out between his teeth as he tugs playfully on Gonta’s tie. As he moves to undo it, Gonta laughs nervously and takes hold of his hands. “Or...we could skip out on dinner and I could do that thing that you really like where I—”

“Ah, um…! Gonta very flattered, buttercup,” he starts, cheeks aflame, “but he made reservation at Shuichi’s favorite restaurant, a-and it had very, very long waitlist, so if Shuichi can start getting ready that would be good.” Shuichi pouts up at him, but Gonta does his best to be unwavering, even if Shuichi looks almost too cute to deny.

Eventually, Shuichi sighs and relents. “Alright, alright, I’ll get ready. But you owe me when we get back home,” he jokes, and Gonta beams at him. Stretching his arms above his head, Shuichi heads over to their closet and starts sifting through his clothes. “So is this my early anniversary present or…? Because I’m just going to warn you now, I still haven’t gotten you anyth—what are you doing?”

Gonta blinks, and evidently, his body has decided to position him down on one knee, and he quickly scrambles for an excuse. It’s not  _ now, _ it has to wait for the restaurant! “Oh! Uh, Gonta just...dropped something. No worries,” he says, quickly sweeping his hand under the bed. He’s a terrible liar, but Shuichi just shrugs and turns back to the closet. “Um...Shuichi excited for dinner?”

“I mean, yeah! Then again, I’m always excited to spend time with you,” Shuichi says rather sweetly, and Gonta steps over to wrap his arms around his boyfriend’s waist. Before he can get a good grip, Shuichi twists away, tapping Gonta’s nose. “Weren’t you just telling me to hurry up and get ready?”

It’s just teasing, but he does have a point. Gonta presses one last kiss to the top of Shuichi’s head before he stands back and lets him get changed. And while, yes, he  _ does _ squeeze Shuichi’s bare waist just for fun when he’s putting on a nice button-up, it doesn’t throw them too far off schedule. They pile into the car together once Shuichi’s grabbed his phone and his wallet, Shuichi’s hand finding its usual resting place atop Gonta’s on the gear shift.

Gonta’s hands are a bit shaky as he drives, but he tries his best not to let on about how truly nervous he is. The only person that knows he’s planning on proposing is himself—Gonta hasn’t confided in anyone else about his plans, and knowing their friends, it wouldn’t have stayed a surprise if he had. But surely Shuichi’s going to say yes. He’s been talking about their future so much, this is definitely what he wants, right? It’s certainly what Gonta wants.

He couldn’t imagine spending his life with anyone else, and he certainly can’t see a very happy future without Shuichi in it. Gonta smiles gently at Shuichi as he pulls up to the restaurant, just on time. There’s valet here, so he hands over the keys to the car and leads Shuichi inside. Maybe he’s a bit too eager, because Shuichi seems to be a little out of breath as they reach the hostess’ podium.

“Do you have a reservation?” the hostess asks, a pleasant customer service smile stretched across her features. Gonta nods, and she taps a few buttons on her little tablet. “Can I get a name for you gentlemen?”

“Should be under Gokuhara,” he answers easily, and Shuichi laces their fingers together. She nods and leads them over to their table; it’s the same one they sit at every time, a secluded booth in the corner, and Gonta sits across from Shuichi, thanking the waitress as she sets down their menus. “So, um, Shuichi...Gonta been thinking about things a lot, and maybe if it’s alright with Shuichi, then we can talk abo—”

He’s suddenly interrupted by a smattering of applause, and Shuichi gasps. “Aww, look over there, how cute!” he coos, pointing over to a table where a man has just gotten down on one knee and opened a ring box, much like the one that suddenly weighs a thousand pounds in Gonta’s pocket. Gonta’s horror must show on his face, because Shuichi goes from happy to concerned. “Hey, everything okay? You, uh...you’re kinda pale, lovebug.”

Clearing his throat, Gonta blinks, surprised that he’s gone teary-eyed. “Ah, yeah, everything okay,” he says quietly, and Shuichi smiles, though he seems unconvinced. Their waitress comes over with some water and asks for their drink orders. “Whatever’s the best wine.”

“And one of those for me as well, please,” Shuichi says, and the waitress nods, heading off. He normally just orders a nice tea, so he’s expecting it when Shuichi starts asking questions. “Okay, you never drink, are you sure everything’s fine?”

Gonta just nods and focuses his glare on the couple that’s currently toasting their new engagement. They look so happy, and he’s completely jealous. He’s waited two years, planned things out so perfectly, and now his entire idea is down the drain. Gonta might not be the most socially aware person, but he does know that you shouldn’t propose when someone else has just publicly done so.

Their waitress is back with their drinks. “Would you like to order any appetizers?” she asks, and Shuichi glances up at Gonta for his opinion. Gonta, however, is far too focused on managing to get a sip of wine down to notice. “If you need a minute, that’s alright, just let me know when you’re ready!”

Shuichi thanks her, then turns back to Gonta. “Didn’t you say you wanted to talk to me about something?” he prompts, and Gonta just shrugs, taking another awful, awful sip of wine. “Hey, you were so excited about dinner tonight, what happened? Is it...is it because of that couple?” He sounds a bit upset, and Gonta doesn’t really know how to answer that question without giving away his whole proposal plan.

“W-Well, Gonta very happy for them, but—”

“Do you not want to get married?” Shuichi asks suddenly, and Gonta’s heart seizes up in his chest. Before he can respond, Shuichi continues. “Is that why you’re so off tonight? Lovebug, I...I do  _ want _ a wedding, it would be so wonderful to be able to celebrate something like that, but I just want to spend the rest of my life with you. If you think it’s just a piece of paper o-or that we’re essentially married anyways, that’s totally fine, it’s not a dealbreaker or anything, I just...I dunno. I guess I just thought you’d be proposing...eventually...”

The ring box suddenly weighs a metric ton. “Gonta not  _ not _ wanna get married,” he tries, but that just seems to make Shuichi sadder. “Gonta love Shuichi so, so much! A-And Gonta not really good at these things, you know that...ah, s-sorry, Gonta not mean to hurt Shuichi’s feelings, i-if Shuichi want to get married, then Gonta will—!”

“I don’t mean to pressure you, d-don’t get me wrong,” Shuichi says quickly, “and if you really don’t want to get married, that’s a hundred percent okay! Don’t feel like you have to propose just because I want you to, I—oh my God, what are you doing?”

Gonta has decided that, screw social norms, he’s proposing now. He gets down on one knee, and Shuichi hurries to tell him that he doesn’t have to, that he didn’t mean to be so pushy on the issue, but he quickly shuts his mouth as soon as Gonta takes the ring box out of his pocket. He’s been practicing and practicing this speech, hopefully he won’t stutter as much as he fears he’s about to.

“Shuichi...you make Gonta the happiest man in the whole world,” he starts, and Shuichi’s shoulders almost come up to his ears. His cheeks are flushed, eyes damp with unshed tears, but he’s nodding, so Gonta takes that as his cue to keep going. “Gonta still remember coming here with Shuichi on our first date...and Gonta can still hear Shuichi saying ‘I love you’ whenever we sit in this booth. And while Gonta wanted to do this as soon as he physically could...Gonta wanted to do it here. At our spot. Gonta can’t imagine spending life without you, Shuichi...I-I love you. Will you marry m-me?”

Immediately after the question leaves his mouth, Shuichi throws himself into Gonta’s arms and kisses him, messy and unrefined and absolutely wonderful. His cheeks grow damp, either from his tears or Shuichi’s own, and he realizes he hasn’t even opened the tiny velvet box yet. He leans back, but Shuichi pulls him right back in, peppering kisses all over Gonta’s face.

As soon as the ring box opens, Shuichi’s eyes go wide like dinner plates. “Holy shit,” is the first thing he says, followed by very red cheeks and a mumbled apology. “Oh! Right! I didn’t answer you properly! Yes!” He smashes their lips together again, and Gonta laughs into the kiss, one arm around Shuichi’s waist and the other fumbling to keep the ring steady. “Shoot, I’m so sorry, I still have to—can you put the ring on?”

Laughing, Gonta sets the box down and takes the ring from it, sliding it onto Shuichi’s outstretched finger. “Does Shuichi like the ring?” he asks, only to be met with another smattering of kisses straight to the face. “Gonta tried his best to pick one out for Shuichi, but i-if you not like it that much, we can always go back and get a different one! It wouldn’t be a problem—”

“Gonta, this is the most beautiful ring I have ever seen and I can confidently say that I am never taking it off,” Shuichi tells him, and Gonta goes bright red. “I can’t believe you were gonna propose! When did you plan on—oh, no did I force you into—? Ah, I’m so sorry!”

“No, no, Shuichi not have to be sorry! Gonta was gonna propose tonight anyways! But then that couple went first so Gonta thought he might not be able to,” he explains, and Shuichi’s shoulders slump in relief. “It was supposed to happen at dessert, but this good too, Gonta very very happy, no worries!”

Shuichi lets out a surprised laugh. “That’s right, we still have to order our food, oh my God, I can’t believe I didn’t even realize,” he says, still staring at the ring on his finger. Biting his lip, Gonta takes his hand and stands, and Shuichi envelops him in a hug as soon as they’re on their feet again. “I love you so much…”

“Love you too,” Gonta says, and Shuichi leans up to kiss him again, the cold metal of the ring feeling electric against his skin as Shuichi cups his face. “Ah, we should prolly order soon...” Shuichi giggles against his lips before kissing him again.

Since they’re so secluded, it looks as though no one’s even noticed. Gonta smiles and runs a hand through Shuichi’s hair, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. It might be a little hard to stay all the way on the other side of the table throughout dinner when all he wants to do is smother Shuichi with affection and lace their hands together so he can feel the imprint of the ring against his finger.

Soon, though, Gonta sees their waitress on the other side of the restaurant and knows they still have to decide on what to eat, so they sit back down. Shuichi reaches across the table to toy with Gonta’s fingers as he looks over the menu, and Gonta does his best to shift his focus from Shuichi to the menu in front of him. He’s probably just going to end up getting what he orders every time they come here.

And they both do; the riskiest part of their meal so far has been the wine, which honestly isn’t all that unusual for Shuichi. They eat and chat and talk about everything and nothing, and as their dessert is being brought out—it’s a chocolate lava cake—Shuichi brings up the topic of an actual wedding. Gonta’s not entirely sure why it’s caught him so off-guard, given they’d have to talk about wedding plans eventually.

“So I was thinking of maybe a small wedding? I mean, with my family, that’s at least thirty guests already, not to mention your family and our friends,” he says, and Gonta nods. It feels a bit surreal, to be thinking about such a big event, but Gonta honestly couldn’t be happier about it. “I definitely don’t want to invite my coworkers, but it’s up to you if you do.”

“Well, Gonta not too sure, but maybe...that a whole lot of people though,” he mumbles, and Shuichi hums as he takes another spoonful from the lava cake. To his surprise, though, Shuichi lifts it up to Gonta’s lips and smiles gently at him. Well, he’s not going to complain about a little extra cake. After he’s taken the bite, Shuichi digs back into their dessert and takes a bite for himself. “Gonta just...so happy Shuichi said yes!”

Shuichi laughs and pops a strawberry into his mouth, looking a bit confused. “Of course I was gonna say yes, lovebug,” he says, and Gonta shrugs. “I can’t imagine spending my life with someone else. Honestly, I was on the verge of buying a ring and asking you myself!”

Beaming, Gonta gives Shuichi’s hand a squeeze. “Gonta been holding out to ask because of restaurant’s wait list. Gonta would have proposed two years ago if this place had been available,” Gonta admits. Shuichi’s cheeks flush, and he laces their fingers together again, that cold metal starting to become the best feeling in the world. “Gonta sorry he made Shuichi wait, but Gonta...wanted everything to be perfect.”

“Don’t apologize,” Shuichi tells him, bringing Gonta’s hand up to his lips. “I’m just glad I get the privilege of getting to marry you in the first place. You’re so special to me...I don’t think I’ve ever been happier than these past few years with you, Gonta. I love you so much, and I can’t wait to marry you.”

“Gonta can’t wait to marry Shuichi either,” Gonta tells him, and Shuichi beams at him. That’s when Gonta notices that most of the dessert is gone, and he playfully glares at Shuichi, who has the decency to look mildly guilty. “Shuichi lucky Gonta love him.”

Shuichi grins, and their waitress sets down the check. “Let me get it, I ate our whole dessert anyways,” he says, but Gonta grabs it before Shuichi can. “Oh, come on...well, I guess our finances will get joined soon anyways…”

Gonta hadn’t even realized; all the little things are adding up, and Gonta feels a little overwhelmed in a good way. Shuichi seems to sense this, and he comes around the booth to press a quick peck to his cheek. Then a kiss to his lips. Then towards his jaw, and Gonta figures this isn’t exactly restaurant-appropriate. He pulls Shuichi away and puts a finger to his lips with a wink.

“Gonta think it can wait for little bit later. You wanna head out?” he asks, and Shuichi hums, tracing his hand up Gonta’s forearm to press their hands together. Gonta suppresses a chill at the feeling of the ring. God, it’s so wonderful every time he feels it on his skin. “Gonta love you so much. Let’s head home.”

Shuichi follows him out to the car—he’d payed in cash, so they don’t have to wait—and they head home. The tension as they drive is palpable, but it’s a good kind of tension. They’re most likely going to kiss and cuddle all night, and Gonta can’t wait! Shuichi’s hand finds his on the gear shift as they pull into the driveway, and Gonta beams over at him. Almost as soon as they head into their bedroom, Shuichi pulls him into another kiss.

“You still owe me from earlier,” Shuichi says, tugging on Gonta’s tie, and Gonta flushes bright red. He blinks in surprise, and Shuichi chuckles. “I’m just teasing, lovebug. Come here, I wanna cuddle my fiancé!”

That sounds like a good plan to Gonta.


End file.
